ParaNorman Flipped
by Shadowfang14
Summary: AU. What if Aggie's and Norman's roles were switched?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N**: _My official fanfic for Halloween. I'm going to try to keep everyone in character, but I apologize in advance if anyone seems OOC at any point during the story. Also, I'm going to make some changes so that the story isn't just a copy-and-paste of the original movie. With that being said, I hope you guys like it, and review!_

_**Disclaime**r: I own ParaNorman as much as Tim Burton owns Coraline (that is to say, not at all)._

**Chapter One-Aggie Prenderghast**

"Aggie? Aggie? Hey, Aggie!" The 11-year-old's eyes snapped open.

"Aunt Hester?" The woman smiled.

"Ah good, you're awake! You slept in. Now get out of bed and get dressed." The girl obliged, climbing out of her bed and starting to make it.

"Now then, as soon as you're done, be sure to comb your hair,"

"Aunt Hester-"

"Brush your teeth,"

"Aunt Hester-"

"And did you remember to do your homework? You know you have that assignment due for today and..."

"Aunt Hester!" Finally, the woman fell quiet, staring wide-eyed at her niece.

"Look, it's not like I don't like your company, but do you have to keep coming over here? You've been dead for almost a month now!"

Agatha Prenderghast was not like other kids. For as long she could remember, she was able to see dead people. It wasn't anything special; to Aggie it came as normally as tying her shoes or going to school. However, needless to say, there were lots of people who thought she was a freak because of her abilities.

One of which had been her own father. From the time she was little, Aggie had heard her parents having painful arguments about her. He blamed his wife, as her sister, Aggie's Aunt Hester, had been able to see ghosts too. More often than not, Aggie had been kept up by the sound of her parents' shouting, sobbing quietly as she tried to go to sleep, to block it all out. It all came to a head when Aggie's mom, Martha, got pregnant again when she was six. They had had their worst fight yet, which ended with Mr. Prenderghast saying that he 'wasn't going to have another freak in his family', and driving off into the night, never to come back. His worries turned out to be for nothing, as Aggie's little brother, Joseph, wasn't able to see ghosts like his sister. That didn't bring her father back, though. And it didn't make the hurt go away.

Aunt Hester frowned sadly.

"Well, I'm just trying to look out for my favorite niece, that's all. And I wanted to-"

"Aggie? You up yet?"

"Yes Mom!" Aggie answered. She turned back to Aunt Hester. "I'm sorry. Look, I have to go now, okay?" She grabbed some clothes out of her drawers and ran to the bathroom.

"But, Aggie! I have to tell you about...!"

"Tell me later, okay?" Aggie asked as she closed the door. Outside, she ran into Joseph.

"Is Aunt Hester in there?" He asked intuitively.

"Yeah." Aggie said. Joseph was one of the few people who didn't treat Aggie different because of her abilities. It was probably because he was so young, and her brother, but still, Aggie was glad that _somebody _didn't treat her like a freak. Joseph had his sister's brown hair, but the same hazel eyes as his father.

"What'd she say?" The five-year-old asked excitedly. "Can I go in and say hi?"

"Do what you want, I don't care!" Aggie said. "I'm going to be late!" She showered and got dressed, then brushed her hair, grabbed her schoolbag, and rushed downstairs, where her mom was making breakfast. Aggie couldn't stop herself from letting out a start as she saw her Aunt Hester hovering over the table. The woman didn't give up!

"Something wrong, dear?" Martha asked, looking up from the waffles she was making.

"Aunt Hester..."Aggie started before stopping herself. She didn't like mentioning ghosts to her mom, not when it had lost her her husband.

"You still miss her, huh?" Martha asked sadly.

"Uh, yeah." Aggie said. Martha looked almost exactly like a grown-up version of her daughter, except with shorter hair. She had a kind face, which always seemed to be covered with flour, due to her baking job, and an hourglass figure.

"I couldn't believe it, even when we went to her funeral." Martha said. "Even though she could see the dead, she was always so lively and..." She sighed sadly, unable to continue. She then looked at the clock, and gasped.

"Oh dear, you're going to be late!" Grabbing a waffle off the plate, she handed it over to her daughter.

"You should get going now, sweetie. Have a good day. And try not to let those kids get to you, okay?"

"I'll try." Aggie said briefly before running out. As she ran outside, she ran right through a mailman ghost.

"Whoa! Hey!"

"Sorry!" Aggie apologized. As she ran down the street, she saw many other ghosts, all of them greeting her individually. Aggie took the time to say a quick hello to each of them as they ran. She liked the ghosts she saw. Many of the ones she met were really nice, a lot nicer than a lot of the living people she knew, that was for sure.

_Well, time to start another **great **day._


	2. Rough School Days

**A/N**: _Think I should go ahead and warn you guys right now-Aggie's going to have a bit of a pottymouth in this story. Sorry in advance if this offends anyone, but hey, she's an angry little girl. That's how she was in the original movie, and that's how she's going to be here, even if she's not so vengeful anymore.__  
_

_Disclaimer: I own nothing but my own imagination._

**Chapter Two-Rough School Days **

"Hey look! It's the freak who talks to ghosts!" Aggie glared down at the pavement as she walked in to school, trying to ignore the jeers and taunts of her peers. It was like this every day. She _hated _coming to school only to be mocked by the other kids.

"Hey, Aggie!" Alvin, the school bully, called out, "You gonna hop on a broomstick and fly around with your ghost friends?! You some kind of witch?!" Despite her best efforts, Aggie couldn't keep her temper in check, and she screamed

"No, but if I was, I'd make you sorry you ever messed with me!" This was the wrong thing to say. Alvin just feigned a 'scared' expression, while the other kids just kept laughing.

"Freak!" was the last thing she heard before opening the door and walking into the school. Her friend Neil was inside, a concerned look on his pudgy face.

"Aw, don't let them bother you, Aggie." He said, trying to encourage her. "Those guys tease me all the time, and I don't let it get to me."

"Sometimes I envy your naïve optimism." Aggie said bitterly.

"Um...thanks?" As Aggie pulled out a tissue to start cleaning off her locker, which someone had written 'freak' on, her other friend, Salma, walked over, arching her eyebrow.

"Well, you're in a good mood." Aggie resisted the urge to make a sarcastic comeback as Salma asked

"Your aunt still hanging around?"

"Yeah."

"Aunt?" Neil asked, confused.

"My Aunt Hester." Aggie told him. "She could see ghosts too. She died last month."

"Ironic." Neil said.

"Anyway, she keeps coming by, trying to tell me about some 'duty' I have to do, involving a 'witch's curse'. She's all cryptic about it."

"Sounds important." Salma said wisely. "You should probably listen to her." Aggie laughed humorlessly.

"Salma, I love my aunt, but she's completely nuts. She lived alone until the day she died, and only ever talked to ghosts. Not to mention she's part of the reason my dad left." This last part she said more to herself than the others, but they heard it anyway. Neil started to say something, but the school bell cut him off.

* * *

Later, in history class, the teacher droned on as his students tried to stay awake.

"Back in olden days, people were very superstitious and paranoid about anything and anyone they found strange or different. Anyone accused of being a witch was put to death, either by hanging, drowning, or being crushed to death by stones."

"Good thing for you that it's the 21st century then, huh Aggie?" Alvin whispered behind her. Aggie glared at him in complete hatred and shock.

_Innocent people were put to death, and you're joking about it?!_ That was what Aggie wanted to say. Instead, she said

"You'd better watch what you say to me, asswipe." Alvin's eyes widened.

"What did you call me?!"

"Asswipe." Aggie repeated nonchalantly. "Now clam up, I'm trying to listen."

Alvin just boiled in anger as Aggie turned back around. She started to take notes, only to get her head pulled backwards as Alvin grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled her back.

"You little brat! If you think I'm not going to hurt you just because you're a girl...!"

"Alvin, Aggie, is there some problem?" The entire class was staring at the two of them. Aggie felt her cheeks redden.

"It was _her_ fault!" Alvin piped up immediately. "She called me a..."

"I don't care." the teacher said. "You were disrupting my class. Now, I trust the both of you know where the principal's office is?"

_BOTH of us?!_

Aggie wanted to scream. This was so unfair! Even though she was the one who was being threatened, she got into trouble anyway.

* * *

That was how, five minutes later, Aggie and Alvin found themselves sitting outside the principal's office, waiting for her to finish her phone call. Aggie only hoped that she wasn't calling her mother.

"This is all your fault." Alvin said, glaring at Aggie. "If you weren't so weird..."

"Oh, shut up." Aggie said, glaring right back at him. "It's not like I asked to be this way." She stared at the green and white wallpaper, wishing that the day could be over.

**A/N**: _Poor Aggie :( Yes, I kept Neil in the story because he was just too adorable to leave out. So yeah, he's Aggie's friend in this story, along with Salma. __And I forgot to mention this in the last chapter, but I got the idea to give Aggie a little brother from another ParaNorman fanfic I read. _ Review, please! 


	3. The Story of the Witch

**Disclaimer**: _I own nada_

**Chapter Three-The Story of the Witch**

After her impromptu meeting with the principal, Aggie walked down the hall. Thankfully, the meeting had gone better than she thought. She just had to stay after school for two days. On one hand, she still thought it was really unfair that she was being punished for _Alvin's_ outburst. On the other hand, she was just glad that she didn't have to scrub the bathroom floors or anything.

She balled her hand into a fist, grounding her teeth as she remembered Alvin's words from earlier.

"Damn Alvin." she said out loud. "I _hate _him. I just wish there was some way I could get back at him...make him suffer!"

"Pretty dark thought, don't you think?" Aggie looked up. How had she not seen the spirit of her aunt hovering above her?

"How long are you going to keep following me?!" she asked.

"Until I'm able to relay my message to you!" Aunt Hester said. "It's important! It's..."

"Yeah yeah, the 'witch's restless spirit', you told me, I know!" Aggie said.

"No you don't!" Aunt Hester's spirit flew right up to Aggie, causing her to back up into a locker. Aggie bit her lip as she looked at her aunt's tense face. But Aunt Hester wasn't looking at her. She was looking right _through _her, as if it was Aggie who was the ghost. She was seeing into a different time, into the past, Aggie immediately knew.

"Three hundred years ago;" Aunt Hester began, "There was a witch who possessed incredible power. His name was Norman Babcock."

"He was a _guy_?" Aggie asked incredulously.

"Yes, there were guy witches." Aunt Hester said, annoyed at having been interrupted.

"Wouldn't that make him a...warlock, then?"

"JUST LISTEN!" Despite herself, Aggie let out a shout, which was heard by Neil outside, as he was preparing to leave on his bicycle. He looked back up at the school building, alarmed and worried for his friend.

"Aggie?"

"Anyway," Aunt Hester continued, "After he was put to death, his spirit wouldn't rest. Every year on the night of his death, Norman would return to the world of the living, spreading chaos and destruction wherever he went." She then finally looked at Aggie, a serious look on her face.

"For generations, our family has been responsible for keeping Norman Babcock's spirit at bay. I did it for years when I was alive, and now that I'm one of the dead myself, it's up to you, Aggie."

"Keep him at bay?!" Aggie started. "What does that mean?! What am I supposed to do?!"

At that moment, Neil came running in to see Aggie yelling at air. Though he couldn't see ghosts himself, he guessed that she was talking to a ghost.

"Aggie?" Aggie didn't notice him as she kept talking to her aunt.

"There's a music box in my bedroom at home." Aunt Hester told her. "Just take it to his grave and open it. With any luck, the tune should put him to sleep, and everyone will be safe."

"'With any luck'?!" Aggie asked in disbelief. "None of this makes any sense! Aunt Hester, I-"

"I've told you everything you need to know." Aunt Hester said, and her worry started to fade as a peaceful smile came to her face. "It's up to you now, Aggie."

"Aunt Hester!"

"I know you can do it." Aunt Hester said honestly as her spirit started to flicker out of existence. "You're a good kid, Aggie. Just trust in your-" Aggie didn't get to hear the end of the message. Aunt Hester's spirit disappeared, leaving her niece standing there more confused than ever.

"No wait! Come back!"

"Aggie!" Aggie blinked a couple times. She whipped her head around, finally noticing that Neil was there.

"Aggie, what's wrong?" Neil asked in concern. "Were you talking to your aunt?" Aggie nodded slowly.

"She said she needs me to go to her house and get a music box." She said. "I'll need it to put a witch to sleep."

"A witch?" Neil asked, the same disbelief on his face that Aggie was sure must have been on hers only moments earlier. Aggie looked at Neil seriously.

"Can you give me a ride?"

* * *

About five minutes later, Aggie sat on the handlebars of Neil's bike as they rode to Aunt Hester's house.

"It's down here, to the right." Aggie said. Neil made a turn.

"Are you sure about this?" He asked. "I mean, your mom is probably going to be worried about where you are, and my older brother is..."

"I never said you had to come with me." Aggie told him impatiently. "I just need to get the music box. As soon as we get to the house, you can go home."

"And leave you on your own?" Aggie rolled her eyes.

"I can take care of myself. Really, it'll be fine." The sight of a large brick house with a blue roof came into sight. "Here it is. You can let me off at the sidewalk." Neil obediently rode up to the sidewalk and Aggie jumped off.

"Thanks for the ride." Aggie said, brushing her pants off.

"No problem." Neil said. "Hey, Aggie?"

"Yeah?" Aggie asked, looking up at him.

"Be careful, okay?" Neil asked. "I don't want anything to happen to you." Aggie was touched by his concern, though she couldn't help but wonder if he was just showing this much concern because she was a girl.

"Like I said, I can take care of myself." Aggie said. "Anyway, it'll be fine. Nothing's going to happen."

Little did she suspect how wrong she was.

**A/N:** _For those of you who are wondering, no, Neil doesn't have feelings for Aggie (though you can imagine it that way if you want). They're just friends, though, like Neil and Norman in canon. And yes, in this story it's a music box instead of a story book to keep the witch's spirit at bay. Just a heads up-Aggie is going to have flashbacks and hallucinations like Norman in the original movie too, but hers are going to be different. Not much else to say except review!_


	4. Blast From the Past

**Disclaimer**: _I own it like I own the moon._

**Chapter Four-Blast from the Past**

Aggie lifted up her aunt's welcome mat to find a spare key underneath. Good old Aunt Hester, every bit as dependable as C's in math. Standing on her tiptoes, she fitted the key into the bottom lock and turned it, feeling a click as the door opened.

The first impression Aggie got as she walked inside was that she had stepped into a dollhouse. The place was ridiculously pink, so much so that it almost hurt her eyes to look. Expensive-looking china sat in the cabinets and shelves and Aggie could've sworn that she still smelled a hint of perfume in the air. She started looking around.

"Okay Aggie, focus. Music box, music box." She walked upstairs, seeing lots of pictures of Aunt Hester and her mother.

_They used to be so close._ Aggie thought as she looked from a picture of them as little girls to one of Aunt Hester at her mother's wedding. She reached the top of the stairs and walked straight into her aunt's room. Despite herself, she couldn't help but cringe as she saw the blood on the sheets.

Aunt Hester had been murdered in her bed by a robber. She remembered the story Aunt Hester had told her-she had been sleeping soundly when she heard the sound of glass breaking. She jolted awake, and before she could get out of bed to call the police, a man with a knife threw her door open. With a sinister grin on his face, he hissed at her to go to sleep. So Aunt Hester did what any sane person would do-started screaming. The man then shut her up-for good.

_Well, at least you can finally rest in peace._ Aggie swallowed down the lump in her throat and looked at the chest of drawers. There it was-an old wooden music box inlaid with rhinestones.

"Fits in with the rest of this tacky house." Aggie said out loud to herself. She reached out to touch the music box, and as soon as she did, something strange happened. A pulse ran through her body, and her surroundings changed.

The lace and cat figurines faded away to reveal trees. She was now in a dark forest, late at night. An angry shout suddenly sounded from the distance, and a ghost floated in front of Aggie, a worried look on his face. He was dressed like a puritan, and Aggie immediately knew, without being told, that she had been sent back to Blithe Hollow's past.

"They're coming!" The ghost said, panic evident in his voice. "Run!" Aggie wanted to ask him what was going on, but instead, she felt her legs moving against her will, running as the ghost had urged her to do.

_What's happening?! _Aggie thought. _Where am I?!_ She didn't have much time to think, however, as she saw a man with a torch and pitchfork standing on a small hill above her.

"There he is!"

_He?_ Aggie's body moved on its own again, and she once again started to run. Before she could get far, however, she found her path blocked by even more puritans, all of them armed.

"You're not going anywhere." Just as Aggie was about to scream at them to get away from her, the image faded.

Once again, she was back in the present. And, somehow during her little hallucination, she had ended up downstairs. Aggie looked up at the flight of stairs behind her.

_Did I really run all the way down here during that?_ She looked down at the music box inquisitively. _Why did I get that vision when I touched it?_ She walked outside, seeing a ghostly couple she was friendly with. The man looked curiously at her.

"Aggie?" His girlfriend likewise whipped her head around and looked at the girl in surprise.

"Aggie Prenderghast, what are you doing here? It's almost sundown!"

"Sundown?!" Aggie gasped. She looked out on the horizon. Indeed, the sun was starting to descend in the sky, painting it a bright red color. "Shit!" She ran down the steps, not bothering to lock the door as she held tightly onto the music box.

"Hey, what's your hurry?"

"Sorry, no time to talk!" Aggie said. She started to run down the sidewalk when her cell phone started to ring. Holding the music box in one hand, she reached into the pocket of her jeans and looked at the caller ID. It was Salma.

"Dammit Salma, of all the times to call!" She flipped the phone open with an exasperated

"Hello?"

"Neil told me about your little mission." Salma said. "Just thought I'd lend you some help."

"Do you have a way to get me to the cemetery faster?!" Aggie asked in exasperation. "Because if I don't play the tune out of this music box-"

"You're not going to find him in the cemetery." Aggie actually stopped in her tracks.

"What?!"

"Once someone was accused of being a witch, they were no longer considered human." Salma said matter-of-factly. "They wouldn't be buried with normal people."

"So where _would _they be buried, then?!" Aggie asked, frustrated since she was only a couple blocks away from the cemetery already.

"They'd be in..." Suddenly, Aggie's cell phone went dead.

"Salma?" All the street lights went off too as the sun dipped into the horizon.

"Crap!" Suddenly, wind started blowing around Aggie, causing leaves to whip around her, obscuring her vision. Aggie looked up, blinking through the gale. A storm cloud was starting to brew overhead, even though earlier there hadn't been a cloud in the sky. Next to her, a car drove by, only to get struck by lightning and swerve on the road, coming dangerously close to where she was. Aggie screamed and ran out of the way to avoid being flattened. She looked up at the sky, a feeling of dread growing in her stomach. The witch was loose.

**A/N**: _Oh dear-the trouble starts. Don't worry-that ghostly couple will become important later. Also, kudos to you if you noticed the subtle reference to a CERTAIN creepypasta character._


	5. The Puritan

**Disclaimer**: _I could say I own it, but that would be lying._

**Chapter Five-The Puritan**

Aggie stood on the sidewalk, panicking. If only she hadn't been distracted by that stupid vision she would've been able to find Norman Babcock's grave faster and play the music box.

_Then again though, Salma said that he wouldn't be at the cemetery. So where, then?!_

As Aggie tried to think of what to do, smoke suddenly filled her lungs, causing her to cough. A fire! Aggie looked around worriedly, and caught a brief glimpse of a fiery figure before it darted off.

"Who..._what _was that?" Aggie asked out loud. Suddenly, a car drove up next to her. The door flew open and her mom came out, a worried look on her face.

"Aggie! Oh, thank God!" She threw her arms around Aggie, causing the girl to blink in confusion.

"Mom?"

"Come on!" Martha grabbed Aggie's hand and led her into the car.

"Aggie?" Joseph asked from the back seat. "What's happening?!" He looked outside at the chaos, his eyes wide, and Aggie sighed miserably as their mother started to drive off.

"I screwed up."

"What do you mean?" Joseph asked, half-curious, half-terrified.

"Three centuries ago, a witch was put to death in Blithe Hollow." Aggie started to explain to him.

"Norman Babcock." Martha said in a small voice. Aggie stared at her in surprise.

"You know about him?"

"Of course I know, I grew up with your Aunt Hester, after all. Every year she went to deal with him, keep him from coming back to the world of the living." Somewhere in the back of Aggie's mind, an annoying little voice said

_Duh._ Aggie ignored it and looked down at the ground guiltily.

"Well, Aunt Hester said that I had to do that now. But when I touched the music box-something happened. I had a vision. And when it faded, it was already too late."

"So now what are you going to do?" Joseph asked.

"She's going home." Martha said matter-of-factly. "We _all _are."

"No, Mom!" Aggie protested. "I have to..."

"Agatha Prenderghast, you're not going _anywhere _in this storm!" Her mom was close to tears, and Aggie knew that she wasn't going to win this.

_So I guess Blithe Hollow is doomed, then._

* * *

Some minutes later, the Prenderghast family made it back home. There was a black-out through the entire town, so Martha lit candles throughout the house. Aggie went up to her room, staring out the window miserably. It was like a hurricane out there. She could definitely understand why her mom didn't want her out there, but she _had _to find a way to stop all this. She owed it to Aunt Hester.

She looked over at the music box, which she had placed on her desk, and raised a suspicious eyebrow.

"I wonder if I'll see something else if I touch it again." She said out loud to no one.

"That depends." Aggie started in alarm. There, in the middle of her room, was the figure of a tall, thin man with shoulder-length red hair, looking to be in either his late twenties or early thirties. Aggie recognized him immediately.

"You!" She said. "You're that puritan ghost!" The ghost let out a brief nod.

"My name is William Huxley." he introduced himself. "Agatha Prenderghast, right?"

"I normally go by Aggie, but yeah." Aggie said, staring at him suspiciously. "How do you know me?"

"Your aunt spoke highly of you." William answered. "She mentioned that you were next in line to put Norman's spirit at ease."

"Yeah, and I did such a _great _job at that." Aggie sighed. "Why did I have that vision?! If only I didn't get caught in it...!"

"It's not too late, you know." Aggie looked at him in surprise.

"It isn't?"

"You can still stop this." William informed her. "If you play the song in the music box before the end of the night..."

"But wait, aren't you that witch's friend?" Aggie asked, confused. "I saw you in that vision, warning him about the mob. So why are you...?"

"I knew Norman Babcock well when he was alive." William told her. "I know for a fact that he would never intentionally hurt anyone. But his spirit is restless, driven by fear and sadness. He won't listen to reason. There's no telling what could happen."

Aggie felt a shiver run down her spine.

"Whatever they did to him-it must have been horrible." William nodded sadly.

"I can lead you to him. Perhaps with me around he'll be a little more willing to listen to you."

"It's worth a shot." Aggie said decisively. "Come on, then. Let's go."

**A/N**: _Next chapter, the team gets together. Leave a review, please!_


	6. Getting the Group Together

**Disclaimer**: _I don't own ParaNorman. If I did, it wouldn't make a lot of sense for me to write a fanfic now, would there?_

**Chapter Six-Getting the Group Together**

Neil sat in his room, huddled into a corner on his bed. Outside the door, he heard his older brother, Mitch complaining about his plans for the night being ruined. Neil looked out the window just in time to see a tree fall outside, crashing on a parked car. He didn't know how Aggie's mission had gone, but, judging from how things were going, he guessed it wasn't good.

_I just hope Aggie's okay._ He thought. He then blinked as he saw her running across the street to his house in the darkness.

"Aggie?" he said out loud. He ran over and opened his window.

"Aggie, what are you doing out there?" He shouted. "Mother Nature's gone crazy!"

"I noticed!" Aggie shouted back up to him through the wind and rain. "I need your help!" Neil ran downstairs, ignoring Mitch's cry of "Hey! Where's the fire?" as he ran past him. Neil swung the door open to reveal a _very_ soaked Aggie.

"Aggie, what's..."

"Long story short, I wasn't able to get the witch to stay put." Aggie started. "Though you could probably guess that already. But it's not too late to stop him. I could use your help, though."

"Me?!" Neil asked in disbelief. "What do you need _me_ for?!"

"Because I don't want to face a witch with only a ghost for company." Aggie said.

Neil could tell that she was trying to act brave, but she was scared. He could see it in her eyes. This was stupid. If he went with Aggie, he would be putting his life on the line. There was no guarantee that this would even work. And yet, before he could stop think logically, he found himself saying

"Alright. I'm with you." Aggie smiled genuinely.

"Come on. Let's go get Salma."

* * *

Salma read a book on witchcraft by candlelight, uninterested in the storm raging just outside. Her train of thought was suddenly interrupted by a

_Thud!_ At her window. Outside, Neil and Aggie looked up expectantly. A cloud moved from in front of the moon, and Aggie felt another tremor run through her body.

_No, not again!_ Aggie was just barely aware of Salma shouting down to them as she got another vision.

* * *

"What are you doing out here?!" Aggie whipped her head around to see a teenage puritan girl with blonde hair looking down at her in a mixture of annoyance and concern. Aggie started to open her mouth to respond, but the girl just sighed.  
"Never mind." A sad smile crossed her face. "I love you, but you can be such a bother sometimes."

_Huh? Loves me?_ Aggie thought. _What's going on here?_

"Let's go, Norman. It's getting dark." The vision faded, and Aggie found herself back in the present. She still didn't have much of an idea what was going on, but she was now sure of a few things. One, whenever she took her inadvertent trips to the past, she was seeing through Norman Babcock's eyes, experiencing snippets of his life, back when he was alive. Two, she had seen that girl, or at least her ghost, somewhere before, but she couldn't remember where.

_But where? And was she really in love with Norman? I don't understand._ Aggie suddenly found herself shaken back to reality and blinked a couple times to see Salma.

"Hello! Earth to Aggie!"

"Huh?"

"Neil told me the whole story, again." Salma said. "So, let me get this straight-you want us to come trekking with you through the rain and darkness as you try to stop a witch's ghost?!"

"Well..." Aggie started nervously.

"This is crazy." Salma said matter-of-factly. "You know that, right? And dangerous."

"Well, yes." Aggie said. "But this is my responsibility. And Salma, you know a lot about witches. You could help me find where Norman would be buried. And you and Neil both could snap me back to reality if I have another vision."

"Another vision?" Salma asked, arching her eyebrow.

"We must go, now." William said next to Aggie. The more time passes, the more the chaos grows."

"Okay, give me a second." Aggie told him. She turned back to her friends.

"Please, I need your help. Just do this one thing, as my friends."

"Of course, Aggie." Neil said. Salma, on the other hand, had to force herself not to roll her eyes. She was seriously starting to question Aggie's sanity. Then again, she knew she'd never be able to live with herself if she didn't at least humor her.

"Well, alright. Since he was a witch, he'd be buried in an unmarked grave. It should be somewhere in Town Hall."

"Town Hall it is, then." Aggie announced.

**A/N**: _Not sure how much I like this chapter :/ Not much else to say except review. Even if it's just to tell me how bad it is._


	7. Things Get Worse

**Disclaimer**: _Time for a personality quiz. Who owns ParaNorman? a) you, b) me, c) a space monkey, or d) Laika? The results: a) you're a dreamer, b) you're a nice dreamer, c) you need psychiatric help, d) you're a realist_

**Chapter Seven-Things Get Worse**

Martha sat on her bed nervously, trying to steady her nerves. Easier said than done. She had always been afraid of thunderstorms, from the time she was a little girl. She flashed back to when she was nine years old, hiding under the covers and trying not to cry as a storm raged outside.

"_Martha? Hey, you okay in there?" Ten-year-old Hester pulled up the covers a little, staring intently at her younger sister's shivering form. Martha didn't answer, sniffling instead. Hester bit her lip sympathetically. _

"_Yeah, it's a pretty bad storm out there, huh?" Martha nodded slightly, her lip trembling as she closed her eyes, letting tears run down her face._

"_It's okay." Hester said, sitting next to her. "Mr. Igthorn says that the storm should blow over soon. He should know, he used to be a weatherman." Martha stared at her. _

"_Hester, Mr. Igthorn's been dead for almost a year now." _

"_Yeah, and?" Martha mentally facepalmed. How could she forget her sister's special ability? She could just imagine Mr. Igthorn's translucent, portly figure floating next to her older sister, shaking his finger at her, a gentle smile on his face. _

"_Hester?" Martha asked, finally scooting out from under the covers, "Is it...scary? Seeing dead people, I mean?"_

"_Not really." Hester answered, a small smile on her face. "They're the same as they were when they were alive. A lot of them are really sad, though. Their family and friends can't see them anymore, and I'm the only one they can talk to. It's the same with their loved ones. You remember the O'Gradys? They had a terrible fight the night before Mrs. O'Grady died. She told me to tell her husband that she forgave him." She sighed. Even though she was still smiling, there was a sad look in her eyes. "That was the first time I ever saw a man cry." _

"_Poor guy." Martha said, sympathetically. _

"_It's not an easy job, being a medium." Hester said. "But if it helps people to mend loose ends, and not be so scared of death, it's worth it." _

Back in the present, a tear rolled down Martha's cheek. She didn't even realize she had been crying. She had always looked up to her sister. Even if everyone else was afraid of or mistrusting of her, she thought it was a good thing her sister did, helping to bridge the gap between the living and the dead. She imagined Joseph felt the same way about Aggie. She'd seen him asking her questions about the ghosts she talked to, his eyes lighting up with wonder as he expressed his wish that he could see ghosts, too. Martha smiled, feeling some of her worry disappear.

"I'd better go check on them." Getting up from the bed, she grabbed a flashlight and walked over to her son's bedroom. She shined the light in the room-and let out a cry of horror at what she saw.

Joseph was nowhere to be found. Additionally, his window was open, and Martha could see that a bunch of sheets were tied together, leading down to the outside.

"JOSEPH!"

* * *

About seven blocks away, Aggie and the others were on their way to City Hall. Suddenly, as soon as it had started, the storm died down.

"Huh? It's over?" Neil asked.

"Not yet." William answered, though only Aggie could hear him. Suddenly, an old abandoned building next to them went up in flames. Next was a parked car, then a garbage can.

"Come on!" Aggie said, grabbing Neil's arm to drag him along. She let out a cry as a fire spontaneously roared to life in front of her. She and the others ran to avoid the blazing inferno, and Aggie's eyes lit up as she saw City Hall in front of them.

"It's right there! Now we just have to...!" The sound of sirens suddenly cut her off. She and the others turned around, and Aggie's heart sank as she saw a police car driving up behind them. It pulled to a stop, and a fat black woman came out.

"Agatha Prenderghast?" she asked. "Does _this_ belong to you?" She opened the back door, and Joseph came tumbling out.

"Aggie!" He said.

"Joseph?" Aggie asked. "What are you doing?"

"I wanted to help you!" He said. "I snuck out to come with you and the others, but the police found me!"

"And it's a good thing we did, too." The policewoman said. "Sneaking out in the middle of a freak storm to do who knows what, dragging other kids with you..."

"I didn't _drag _them out here!" Aggie shouted. As soon as she said this, she knew it was a lie. She'd convinced her friends to come out here and risk their lives, just because she was scared. She shook her head, then looked up at the grown-ups.

"Look, this is something I have to do, okay?! Everything that's happened tonight is because of a witch, and I'm the only one who can stop him!" The woman stared at her, clearly not believing a word.

"Are you two buying this?" She asked Neil and Salma. Nobody said a word. Finally, after a few seconds, Salma sighed.

"I-I don't know."

"What?!" Aggie asked in disbelief.

"Well hey, you talk all the time about these ghosts only you can see!" Salma said. "All I ever see is you talking to yourself! I never asked to be a part of this!"

"Salma!"

"The only reason I even started hanging around with you is because I felt sorry for you!" Aggie felt like she'd been punched in the gut. She turned to Neil.

"Neil, you believe me, right? _Right_?!" Neil just stared down at the street and said nothing. The policewoman's partner chose that moment to intervene.

"Alright kids, you're coming with us." He reached for Aggie, but she just pulled away.

"Aggie!" Joseph said. Aggie's legs moved on their own, carrying her away from everyone.

**A/N**: _Poor Aggie :( Just in case you guys couldn't guess, Aggie never reunited Neil with his dead dog like Norman did in the original movie, so technically he's never had any contact with ghosts. And as for Salma, well, I imagined her as kind of a skeptical character. Even in the original movie when she was saying that stuff about witches she had kind of a high and mighty feel about her, so hopefully this isn't too much of a stretch. She didn't get a whole lot of characterization in the movie anyway, so..._

_Well, anyway, I hope you liked the chapter at least a little. Please review!_


	8. The Truth About Norman

**A/N**: _Well, so much for the group. Sorry it was abrupt. Well, I hope you still like the story anyway and leave me some reviews? Or maybe some helpful hints?_

**Disclaimer: **_I own nothing but my own imagination._

**Chapter Eight-The Truth About Norman**

Aggie forced her way into City Hall, taking care to close the doors behind her before collapsing to her knees. One of the only friends she'd ever had in her life didn't even like her. She never even believed in her.

"How could I be so stupid?!" Aggie shouted out loud. "I'm just a freak who talks to ghosts, of _course _nobody would really want to be my friend!" William looked at her sadly.

"Aggie..."

"You know what?!" Aggie said suddenly. "Screw Salma. Neil too. I'm going to do this with or without them. I've been alone my whole life, why should this be any different?!"

"That's what Norman used to think, too." Aggie's head whipped around at the sound of the new voice. A blonde teenage girl in puritan clothes, the same one from her last vision, suddenly floated down to her.

"It's you!" Aggie said suddenly. "The girl from my vision!" Looking at her and William together, she suddenly came to a realization. "Wait a second-I've seen you two before! I saw you earlier, after I got the music box from my aunt's house-why didn't I realize it before?! And wait-how did you change from modern clothes to puritan garb?"

"Some ghosts can change their appearances to match the times." William told her. "We needed to get close to you, to make sure that you were prepared for this day." Aggie looked from him to the girl.

"Alright, I want some answers, now! Who are you two, really? And just what's your connection to Norman Babcock?"

"My name is Courtney." the blonde girl answered. "Norman's my brother." Aggie gasped in surprise.

"He could see ghosts, just like you." Courtney continued. "I never believed in his abilities, at least not at first. But that changed after my boyfriend died of the pox." She cast a meaningful glance over at William, and Aggie got it.

"You were boyfriend and girlfriend."

"Norman was able to keep us in touch, even after I died." William confirmed, a sad smile crossing his face as he and Courtney grasped hands. "I owe him a lot." Aggie ran through all that information in her mind, letting it marinate. Suddenly, smoke filled her lungs. Aggie started to cough, her eyes watering. She gasped as she realized that some of the documents were on fire, and the fires were spreading quick.

"No!"

"Norman?!" Courtney said in alarm, looking around as if she expected him to pop up at any second. Aggie started to run to the door, only to stop in her tracks as flames started to emerge from under the door. She was trapped inside! Aggie coughed some more and as she watched, the scene changed as she had another vision.

"No no, not now!" But before she knew it, Aggie was back in the past. This time, however, it was different. She, or rather, Norman, was standing before a crowd of onlookers, a noose around her um, _his _neck. A large man in a white powdered wig stood before him, a cold look on his face.

"_Norman Prenderghast, you stand accused of witchcraft." He said. "For this heinous act of heresy, you are sentenced to hang from the neck until dead."_

"_No!" came a girl's voice. As Aggie watched, Courtney pushed her way through the crowd, her face wild. However, two of the townsmen grabbed her by either arm, holding her back. Still, the girl struggled to break free, trying desperately to reach her brother. _

"_LEAVE HIM ALONE!"_

"_Sister!" Aggie felt the word escape from her throat against her will. "Sister, help me!" She, or rather Norman, reached out, only for the hatch to open under his feet, and him to go falling_

"_NO!" Courtney screamed. As Norman went falling, however, William and some other ghosts suddenly came to his aid. _

"_Norman, don't worry!" William told him. He and the others loosened the noose from around the so-called witch's neck, causing him to fall to the ground, unharmed. The crowd all gasped as one. _

"_You see?!" The judge said. "He has called on spirits to come to his aid!"_

"_He's not just a witch!" Another man shouted. "Surely he's the devil!" Aggie-as-Norman scrambled to her feet and started to run off. Unfortunately, she didn't get far until she was grabbed by another grown-up, who held her, or rather **him** up by the scruff of his neck. _

"_So, the noose isn't going to work for you, eh boy? Well then, perhaps you'd prefer to get a taste of what awaits you in hell!" He held up a torch, and Norman let out a scream as the villagers crowded around him._

"_Let him go!" Courtney shouted, continuing to fight tooth and nail to get to her brother. "Let him go, you-!" She was unable to finish her thought as one of the other villagers slapped her aside. _

"_SISTER!"Norman shouted again. Aggie suddenly caught a glimpse of his terrified face as he looked at his reflection in a barrel of water. A scared little boy with big blue eyes and messy brown hair stared back at her. Aggie mentally gasped._

_**He was just a little boy!**_ _She didn't have much more time to think, however, as she, or rather, Norman, was tossed roughly to the ground. The man with the torch lowered it, lighting the poor horrified boy ablaze. The last thing Norman Babcock knew was the sound of his own agonized screams as the flames spread up his body._


	9. A Change of Heart

**Disclaimer**: _I don't own ParaNorman. Repeat it 100,000 times or however long it takes for it to stick in your mind._

**Chapter Nine-A Change of Heart**

Salma sat in the police car, staring out the window. Despite her best efforts, she just couldn't keep Aggie's face out of her mind. That hurt, betrayed look.

_Stop it! _She scolded herself. _Stop thinking about it! There is no ghost! She can't speak to the dead! She's just some creepy girl! _

_**So why can't I stop feeling guilty?**_

"She's not crazy, you know." Salma and Neil turned to look at Joseph. Neither of them said a word, and the preschooler took this as an opportunity to continue.

"Aggie really _can _see the dead." Joseph said.

"But is it really any good if no one else can?" Salma asked tonelessly. Joseph opened his mouth to respond, but stopped when he couldn't think of anything else to say.

"We shouldn't have left her behind." Neil said guiltily.

"We didn't 'leave her behind'!" Salma insisted. "She ran off to chase after some imaginary ghosts!"

"How can you be so skeptical?" Neil asked her in surprise. "How do you explain all this chaos that's going on, the random fires?" Salma just glared out the window and said nothing.

"Aren't you always talking about witches?" Neil asked. "I thought you of all people would've believed in this."

"What I believe is that innocent people were put to death just for being different." Salma said. "It's the same with Aggie. Sure, nobody's given her death threats, but she's still setting herself up to be ostracized."

"So we should go back and help her!" Joseph said determined, trying to stand up in his seat, only to be pulled back by the seatbelt.

"Ain't nobody going anywhere!" the policewoman said. "You kids are going back home! And as for that friend of yours, well, only God knows where _she'll _end up." Salma stared out the window again as memories filled her mind, of the first day she, Neil, and Aggie became friends.

* * *

_A slightly younger Salma sat by the jungle gym, her nose in a book._

"_Hey, bookworm!" The bespectacled girl barely had time to look up before a big guy with greasy hair and an overbite knocked the book out of her hands._

"_Hey!" _

"_What're you gonna do? Give me a papercut?!" The big idiot started laughed cruelly._

"_Leave her alone, dipshit!" Both Salma and the bully turned around to see Aggie, an angry look on her face._

"_Tsk tsk, such language." The bully said, smirk never leaving his face. "Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?" Aggie just kept glaring at him, and the bully said _

"_Run along now. Go talk to your little ghost friends." He started to turn around, and Aggie said_

"_Hey, jarhead?" The guy turned back around._

"_What?" Aggie answered by spitting in his face. The smirk slipped off the bully's face, to be replaced by an angry scowl. _

"_Why you little...!" He moved to punch Aggie, only for her to duck safely out of the way and make a sweep at his legs, knocking him down. He crumbled to the pavement, and Aggie stared triumphantly down at him._

"_Don't underestimate me." She then turned to Salma, who was staring at her in awe. "Hey. You okay?" Salma nodded wordlessly as she picked up her book. _

"_That was really something. I don't know a lot of people who would mess with T-Rex." _

"_I can't stand bullies." Aggie told her. "I've been teased my whole life. Besides, why should I be scared of that big lug? I talk to ghosts." _

_**At the time, I thought she was just joking. **_Another image came to her mind, of her, Aggie, and Neil eating lunch together.

_**Yes, Aggie was weird, but we all were. **_Aggie and Neil played hockey at Neil's house while Salma, not being the sporty type, just watched.

_**It never bothered me that I wasn't popular or didn't have a lot of friends, but it WAS nice having at least a couple. Just a couple people who didn't mind being around me, who didn't think that I was just a weirdo or loser. **_The realization suddenly hit Salma.

_**I bet that's how Aggie felt too. **_Salma sighed.

"Man, I'm a lousy friend."

At that moment, the policewoman screamed as another car came on the other direction on the road. She stopped the car, and so did the other driver. The window rolled down to reveal...

"Mom?!" Joseph asked in surprise.

"Joseph, where's your sister?" Martha asked.

"She should be in Town Hall." Neil piped up. "That's where we were heading before..."

"Get out." Martha ordered. The children obliged, and the policewoman said

"Hey wait, hold up!"

"You have no authority to take these children!" her partner pointed out.

"No." Neil said. "I want to go back."

"Me too." Salma said suddenly. The boys stared at her in surprise.

"Aggie helped me out back before she even knew me." She said. "I figure I owe her one. Especially after I abandoned her back there." Neil smiled happily.

"You're sure?" Martha asked. Salma nodded, as did Neil, albeit faster.

"Alright, then." Martha said. "Let's go get my daughter."

**A/N**: _I feel like I'm relying on flashbacks too much. Don't worry though, that's the last one, I promise. You know, I'd actually hoped to get this done on Halloween. Such is the life of a college student. Oh well. Review, please._


	10. Aggie Prenderghast, Meet Norman Babcock

**Disclaimer**: _Expended all my creativity writing this chapter, so I'm just going to say-don't own it, never will.__  
_

**Chapter Ten-Aggie Prenderghast, Meet Norman Babcock**

"Aggie! Aggie! Aggie!" Aggie jerked awake suddenly, to see Courtney and William floating over her, concerned looks on their faces.

"Aggie, are you alright?" William asked.

Was she alright? What could she say? She just saw a scared young boy being put to death by adults, first by trying to hang him, then burning him to death when that didn't work. _Just because he was different. _She could still see the horrified look on his face, the fear in his voice as he begged his sister to save him. It tore her up inside.

"Bastards." Aggie said quietly, angry tears starting to run down her cheeks.

"Huh?" Courtney asked.

"He was just a little boy!" Aggie choked out. "But just because he was different, they were so scared of him that..." She couldn't continue. She lowered her head, her body shaking as she cried some more.

"It _was_ horrible." Courtney agreed, putting her hand on Aggie's shoulder. "Nothing was quite the same after that day. My parents were heartbroken. The memory haunted me for years until my own death." She looked down at the ground sadly as William floated next to her.

"I was never much of a big sister. But to think...I couldn't save my own brother." Tears welled up in her eyes.

Aggie suddenly noticed that the smoke and flames were gone, and she could breathe again.

"Is-Is Norman gone?" She asked.

"He never came in." William said. "He passed by earlier, then moved on." Aggie came to a decision.

"I'm going to find Norman." She said.

"That's wonderful!" Courtney said. "You can calm down his rampage and..."

"Not exactly." Aggie continued, her tone suddenly cold. She looked up, her eyes suddenly cold. "I'm going to find Norman-and help him burn Blithe's Hollow to the ground." The ghosts' happy faces switched to looks of horror.

"No, you can't!" William protested.

"Why shouldn't I?!" Aggie demanded viciously. "The people of this town have been nothing but cruel to me! My own _father _was so afraid of me that he abandoned us! And Norman-they _killed _him!"

"But this is wrong!" Courtney said. "Norman would never...!" Aggie didn't stick around to listen to her. She ran out the door and into the night. She didn't care about anyone or anything anymore. She wanted revenge, for her sake as well as Norman's. With every step she took, her anger and determination grew. She could barely hear with the blood pounding in her ears. She'd make them all pay. Every. Last. One.

Finally, she stopped in a forest to catch her breath. She looked around her for any sign of the witch.

"Norman? Norman?" A tree next to her suddenly burst into flames. Aggie took that as a sign that he was close.

"Norman?" A whimper nearby confirmed her suspicions.

"Who-Who's there?" Came the small voice of a young boy. "Are you here to put me back?" Aggie's heart warmed a little at the sound of the voice, and she allowed a sad look to cross her face.

"No." She said honestly. "Never again."

* * *

Meanwhile, Martha was going out of her mind as she tried to find her daughter. She drove around like a madwoman, much to the horror of her three young charges in the back.

"Now, you're sure you don't know where Norman Prenderghast is buried?" she asked Salma. "Maybe Aggie could already be there!"

"I told you, I don't know!" Salma said, holding onto her car seat with both hands for dear life.

"But Mom, didn't Aunt Hester used to do this?" Joseph asked.

"Yeah!" Neil piped up. "You're her sister, shouldn't _you _know?"

"Hester never told me where Norman was buried." Martha said. "Something about 'keeping his grave sacred'."

"Look!" Neil said, pointing into a clump of trees that were on fire. He then realized a familiar figure in the flames.

"Aggie!"

* * *

Aggie crept further into the forest, following the sound of Norman's sobbing. Sweat started to bead her face. Finally, there, in the clearing, she saw the 'witch' for the first time.

He looked like he had in life, though he was grayish-black in color, like ash, or burned-out coal. Also, Aggie noticed, his hair was fire.

"Um, hey? Norman?" The little boy whipped around in surprise, his eyes wide.

"W-Who are you?" Norman asked.

"A friend." Aggie said, a warm, but slightly sinister, smile crossing her face.

**A/N**: _Oh no! Aggie, don't do it! What'll happen now?! Keep reading to find out!_


	11. Not Alone

**Disclaimer**: _Roses are red, violets are blue. I don't own ParaNorman, and neither do you._

**Chapter Eleven-Not Alone**

Neil and Salma hurried through the forest, pushing aside twigs to make their way to their friend.

"Aggie!" Neil shouted. "Aggie!" In the clearing, Aggie whipped her head around in surprise.

"Huh?"

"Who's there?!" Norman asked in fear, his fire getting slightly brighter in fear.

"It's alright." Aggie told him. "They won't bother us." A serious look crossed her face.

"Look, Norman, I'm like you. I can see ghosts too, and all my life people treated me horribly." She scowled. "The people of Blithe Hollow haven't changed. They're still just as close-minded and ignorant as ever. So, how about we get back at them? Make them pay for hurting us. For killing you. What do you say?" To Aggie's surprise, Norman's face contorted in fear.

"What?! No! I could never do that!" He backed up, and Aggie stared at him in surprise.

"But after everything they did to you, aren't you just a little angry?" She reached out to touch his shoulder, and Norman hugged himself.

"I-I just...LEAVE ME ALONE!" He burst into flames, and Aggie fell backwards.

"AGGIE!" Aggie turned around, suddenly noticing that Neil and Salma were behind her.

"Guys?"

"Who are they?!" Norman asked, suddenly scared. "Did you bring them here to hurt me?!"

"What?! No!" Aggie shouted, pulling herself back up. "I would never-!"

"YOU'RE LYING!" The fire grew larger, and Aggie's friends grabbed either of her arms, pulling her up.

"Come on, Aggie!" Neil shouted. "We've gotta go!"

"Wait a second." Aggie said, pulling herself free. "What are you guys even doing here?! I thought you didn't like me." She shot a meaningful glare at Salma as she said this, and a guilty look crossed the black girl's face.

"I'm sorry." She said. "I was scared, okay? But we've been through a lot together-you, me, and Neil. And I really _do_ think of you as a friend."

"How can I believe you?!" Aggie demanded.

"If we didn't mean it, would we really have come out here?!" Neil asked. Aggie started to argue, but stopped. They came all this way, willingly putting themselves in danger for her sake.

"Aggie! Aggie!" Aggie looked up to see Joseph making his way towards them, their mother behind him.

Of course. How could she ever forget her beloved mother? No matter how bad things got, her mom was always there for her. Aside from Joseph, she was the one constant in her life, her best friend. Even after her husband had left her, leaving her with a small child and one on the way, she never abandoned her.

The tender moment was suddenly interrupted by Norman's terrified scream as the fire burned even brighter still.

"What's with this fire?!" Neil asked, wiping the sweat from his face.

"That's no fire." Aggie said. "That's Norman Prenderghast."

As she looked at him, regret filled her. Courtney was right. Norman wouldn't, _couldn't_ bring himself to hurt anybody. In spite of everything that had happened to him, he didn't want revenge. He was just a broken, scared little kid who wanted to be left alone. She felt horrible for even _thinking _of using him to get back at all her tormentors.

_I'm no better than everyone else..._

Aggie ran towards him.

"NORMAN!" Norman didn't look at her. He just huddled up against a tree, tears running down his face only to immediately evaporate and turn to steam.

"Norman, listen to me!" Aggie shouted. "I'm sorry about what I said! You don't have to hurt anybody! I was just angry!" She stepped closer, ignoring her friends' shouts.

"You don't have to be scared anymore, Norman! I promise, nobody's ever going to hurt you again!"

"You don't mean that!" Norman shouted. "You're just here to shut me up!"

"Norman!"

"Aggie!" Martha had made her way to the clearing, Joseph in tow, and was staring in wide-eyed horror as her only daughter stepped closer to the flaming ghost.

"I was wrong!" Aggie shouted. "I'm not alone, Norman, and neither are you! You still have people who care about you!"

"STOP LYING!" Norman shouted again. "You don't really care! You think I'm a horrible monster, just like the others!"

"No, I don't!" Aggie protested. She walked over to Norman without fear, ignoring the heat.

"Aggie, what are you doing?!" Martha shouted in horror. "Get back here!"

"Don't do it, Aggie!" Neil shouted.

"Aggie!" Salma shouted. Aggie ignored them all and walked over to Norman.

"I'm not afraid of you, Norman." She said, her voice full of sincerity. Reaching into her jacket pocket, she pulled out the music box and opened it, letting the sweet music fill the air. Norman looked up in surprise, his fire dying down slightly.

"That music..." He looked at the music box. "That was a gift from my sister."

"She cares about you, Norman." Aggie told him. "And so does William." She walked up to him and, ignoring every instinct she had, threw her arms around him while he was still fiery.

"AGGIE!"

"And so do I." Aggie finished. "I meant what I said, Norman. Nobody's going to hurt you anymore." Norman slowly lifted his arms up to return the hug, his fire dying completely until he looked the same as he did when he was alive. Aggie no longer noticed or cared that her friends or family were there. She just held onto Norman, letting him cry into her shoulder.

**A/N**: _Aww :') I loved writing out this chapter, especially Aggie calming Norman down, as compared to the way he calmed her down in the original movie. Review, please!_


	12. Things Change

**Disclaimer**: _I own nothing but my own imagination._

**Chapter Twelve-Things Change**

The next day, Martha stood at the kitchen sink, doing the dishes.

"Morning Mom." Joseph said as he came downstairs. "Did Aggie leave already?"

"Yes." Martha said. "She said she had one more thing to do." She smiled. "I'm so proud of her. In spite of everything she's been through, she saved us all."

"I knew she could do it." Joseph said. "I've seen her talking with ghosts sometimes. She's always so nice and friendly." He smiled. "She may not always see it that way, but I think that gift of hers is really cool." Martha just went back to her dishes, smile still on her face.

Norman floated behind Aggie as she walked down the street, his eyes wide.

"Everything has changed so much since I was alive." He stared in a store window where a bunch of TVs were playing. "What are those?"

"They're called television sets." Aggie told him, an amused smile on her face. "People watch them all day now instead of churning butter." Suddenly, Alvin walked up to Aggie.

"What do _you _want, Alvin?" Aggie asked, annoyed.

"Well, um," Alvin cleared his throat. "I heard that you saved the whole town. So, um, I-I'm sorry for all those times I bugged you or whatever." Aggie blinked in surprise. Before she could say anything, however, Alvin ran off.

"Was he a friend of yours?" Norman asked curiously.

"Far from it." Aggie said. "Come on, let's go." As she and Norman continued on their way, Aggie recognized a couple more people from her school, who mumbled their thanks or nodded in approval.

Okay, so nobody was exactly throwing her a parade. But that was fine with Aggie. She never liked being the center of attention. Still though, it was good to see that things were going to be different from now on. Aggie's cell phone rang. Fishing it out of her pocket, she held it to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Hey." Salma's voice said on the other end. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Aggie answered. "Norman too." Her voice took on a knowing tone. "You told everyone about what happened last night, didn't you?"

"Well, not by myself." Aggie could hear the smirk in Salma's voice. "Neil was a lot of help."

"Well, I guess they would've found out sooner or later anyway." Aggie sighed. "Still, the last thing I want is for people to start flocking around me."

"With your _charming _personality?" Salma asked sarcastically. "I wouldn't count on it."

"Well, I'll catch you guys later, okay?" Aggie asked. "I've got to wrap things up here."

"Catch ya round, Prenderghast." Salma said before hanging up.

"So...how much further are we going to go?" Norman asked.

"We're here." Aggie announced, stopping in front of Aunt Hester's house. "All right you guys can come out now!" Two familiar figures then floated out in front of them.

"Courtney?" Norman asked, hardly daring to believe it. Courtney smiled warmly.

"Hello, little brother." Tears welled in Norman's eyes again as he rushed over to hug her.

"It's great to have you back." Courtney continued, happy tears filling her own eyes.

"All this time," Norman started, "I was so scared. I thought I was alone, I thought everyone just wanted to hurt me again..."

"Well, it's over now." William said, floating over and putting his translucent hand on Norman's shoulder. "You don't have to be scared or sad ever again." He smiled warmly at him. "Thank you for what you did for me and Courtney." He then turned to Aggie. "And thank _you _for bringing him back to us."

"Don't mention it." Aggie said humbly. "Actually, Norman, I'm the one who should be thanking _you_. I was always just so angry and bitter all the time. If our positions had been switched...well..." She looked awkwardly off to the side, then back up at Norman.

"So thanks for helping me let go of all that." The puritan ghost boy gave her a warm look.

"Let's go." Courtney told Norman. "We've lingered on the earth long enough." Even though she knew it was coming, Aggie still felt a little sad. She'd actually come to like Norman, and consider him a friend.

"Wait!" she cried. "Will-Will I ever see you again?" Norman's smile grew wider. He floated over to her, taking her hands in his own.

"I guarantee it." And with that, him, Courtney, and William faded.

It was technically true, Aggie thought. Everyone died. One day, she herself would be a ghost, like Aunt Hester. Maybe it was the fact that she had been able to see ghosts all her life, but the thought didn't bother or scare her. Until then, though, she was going to continue living her life to the fullest and try to be a little nicer to people-living _and _dead. She imagined Aunt Hester smiling down on her from heaven.

_I did it, Aunt Hester._

**A/N**: _And thus concludes my flipped version of ParaNorman. I hope you guys liked it. The only thing that really bothered me is that when I interested William, I said that he was in his twenties or thirties, yet later I said that he was Courtney's boyfriend...fail on my part. I still had fun writing this, though. If there's anyone out there who thinks they can do a better job...go for it! I'd love to read you guys' take on the idea! Thank you all for being such awesome readers, and have a Happy Thanksgiving in advance!__  
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